Guide · Open source

How to use Windows-MCP: install, run and connect to Claude Desktop

Updated 2026-10-29 · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

Windows-MCP is an open-source MCP server that connects AI agents and language models to the Windows operating system. Once it is running, a connected agent can navigate files, open and control applications, interact with UI elements and run QA-style tests. This guide shows you how to install it, start the server and connect it to an MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop.

Windows-MCPCursorTouch/Windows-MCP · ★ 11k · MIT Install options & downloads

Quick start

1Confirm your setup. Check that you are on Windows 10 or 11 and have Python 3.14 or newer installed.
2Install uv. Run pip install uv to install the uv package manager.
3Start the server. Run uvx windows-mcp serve. Allow a minute or two for the first run to install dependencies.
4Edit your MCP client config. Add the windows-mcp entry with command uvx and args windows-mcp and serve to claude_desktop_config.json.
5Restart the client. Fully quit Claude Desktop and reopen it, then confirm windows-mcp appears in the MCP tools list.
6Optional: run at login. Run windows-mcp install to create the per-user Scheduled Task, and use windows-mcp uninstall to remove it later.

Check the requirements before you install

Windows-MCP supports Windows 10 and Windows 11 only. The README says earlier Windows versions are not supported by the current installation. The current package requires Python 3.14 or newer.

Windows 10 or Windows 11
Python 3.14+
uv (Python package manager), installed with pip install uv or the curl command in the README

Install uv and start the server

The README lists uv as the package manager you need. Once uv is installed, you can run the server directly. The first run can take a minute or two while dependencies in pyproject.toml install. If the server times out on the first run, the README says to ignore it and restart the server.

Run the server directly when needed with uvx windows-mcp serve.
The README also lists SSE and streamable-http transport options with --transport, --host and --port flags.

pip install uv
uvx windows-mcp serve

If you want the server to start now and at every login, use the install command. The README says this creates a per-user Scheduled Task named windows-mcp-server and a wrapper script at ~/.windows-mcp/start-server.cmd. Logs are written to ~/.windows-mcp/server.log and ~/.windows-mcp/server.error.log. To remove the task, run windows-mcp uninstall.

Default install: windows-mcp install
HTTP transport: windows-mcp install --transport sse --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8000

windows-mcp install
windows-mcp uninstall

Connect Windows-MCP to Claude Desktop

The README recommends installing from PyPI with uvx. Add the server entry to your claude_desktop_config.json file, then fully restart Claude Desktop and check that the server appears in the MCP tools list.

Option A (recommended): use uvx to run the latest version from PyPI.
Option B: clone the repository and point uv at the project directory with --directory.
Fully quit Claude Desktop (Tray, then Quit) and reopen it after saving the config.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "windows-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "windows-mcp",
        "serve"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Fix Claude Desktop Microsoft Store (MSIX) setup issues

The Microsoft Store version of Claude Desktop virtualizes %APPDATA%, so the config file is in a different location and the automatic installation from the Claude Directory can fail. The README says you must edit the config file manually and use the full absolute path to uvx.exe or uv.exe, because apps in the MSIX sandbox do not inherit the system PATH.

To find the correct paths, run where uvx, where windows-mcp or where uv in a terminal. Replace <user> with your Windows username.

Config file location: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Claude_pzs8sxrjxfjjc\LocalCache\Roaming\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Use the full path, for example C:\Users\<user>\.local\bin\uvx.exe

Use DOM mode for web pages

The README describes a special use_dom=True mode for the State-Tool. It focuses on web page content and filters out browser UI elements. The README says it supports Chrome, Edge and Firefox, and that Firefox uses an IAccessible2 fallback because it does not expose RootWebArea through UIA.

What people use it for

Developers testing AI agents that need to open and control Windows applications.
Users of Claude Desktop who want their assistant to navigate local files and apps.
QA testers automating UI interactions on Windows 10 or 11.
Builders extending an MIT-licensed base with custom tools.

Frequently asked questions

Is Windows-MCP free to use?

Windows-MCP is open-source and released under the MIT license, and the full source code is available. The README does not mention any paid tier. Check the license file in the repository for the exact terms.

What Windows versions does Windows-MCP support?

The README says Windows 10 and Windows 11 are supported. Earlier Windows versions are not supported by the current installation.

Do I need Python 3.14 to run Windows-MCP?

Yes. The README says the current package requires Python 3.14 or newer. You also need uv, the Python package manager, which you can install with pip install uv.

How do I install Windows-MCP in Claude Desktop?

Add a windows-mcp entry with command uvx and args windows-mcp and serve to claude_desktop_config.json, then fully restart Claude Desktop. The README recommends this PyPI option.

Why does Claude Desktop from the Microsoft Store fail to find Windows-MCP?

The MSIX version of Claude Desktop virtualizes %APPDATA%, so the config file sits in a different folder, and it does not inherit the system PATH. The README says to edit the config manually and use the full absolute path to uvx.exe or uv.exe.

How does Windows-MCP compare to Windows-Use, pywinauto or FlaUI?

Windows-Use is an agent built using Windows-MCP, according to the README. pywinauto and FlaUI are listed as comparable projects in the directory analysis, but this source does not compare their features, so check each project's documentation to decide.

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Our verdict

Windows-MCP suits developers, MCP client users and QA testers who run Windows 10 or 11 with Python 3.14 and want a readable, MIT-licensed base. Avoid it on older Windows versions, on machines with sensitive data where you cannot supervise an agent that takes real actions, or if you cannot run Python 3.14+.

Install options & downloads